Southdowns Dog Services

Southdowns Dog Services Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Southdowns Dog Services, Pet service, Portsmouth.
(1)

Gundog trainer/Accredited Pet Gundog instructor /Gundog training/ Dog trainer/pet dog training/ Boarding/ Problem solving/Fixing the bond through communication/

09/08/2026

HUNT HARD. STOP INSTANTLY. đŸŽŻđŸŸ

Allowing a gundog to hunt properly doesn’t mean sacrificing control.

Here we’re working multiple dogs through an area, allowing them to hunt with drive and purpose while maintaining the control expected of a trained working dog.

🔾 Stop to whistle while hunting — switching instantly from drive into control.

🔾 Stop to shot — the shot itself becomes the cue to stop, sit and remain steady.

Doing this with multiple dogs hunting together adds another level. Each dog must stay focused on its handler and respond regardless of what the other dogs are doing.

We want dogs that can switch on and hunt hard when asked, but switch straight back into control when required.

That balance between freedom, drive and control is what good gundog training is all about.

www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧 [email protected]
đŸ“± WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433

đŸ“ș https://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

StopWhistle StopToShot SteadinessTraining GundogTrainer WorkingDogs DogTraining SpanielHunting

08/08/2026

What a fantastic first day at the show! đŸ¶

We were proud to be with our Gundog demonstrations at 10:40am and 3:30pm, and it was great to see so many people watching and chatting with us afterwards.

We were also judging a few of the dog shows to which was fun!

We’ll be back again tomorrow, so if you’re visiting, come and say hello! We’ll be putting on another Gundog display and would love to meet you.

It’s a brilliant family day out with plenty to see and do for everyone. We hope to see you there!

WorkingDogs DogTraining SouthdownsDogServices CountryShow HampshireDogs GundogDemo

www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧 [email protected]
đŸ“± WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433
đŸ“ș https://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

07/08/2026

10 weeks old
 and already learning that coming indoors doesn’t mean charging through the door.

At just 10 weeks old, this puppy is already learning door manners and understanding a simple verbal correction for making the wrong choice. One clear correction, followed by praise when the right decision is made, helps create clear communication from the very beginning.

Before anyone asks
 no food has been used to teach this. Apart from using food during a sit lesson, everything you see here has been taught without food. The puppy is simply learning clear boundaries, good decision-making, and understanding what is expected.

These foundations carry through into every aspect of training—waiting at gates, staying steady on retrieves, and remaining calm in everyday life. Start as you mean to go on, and you’ll build a dog that understands both freedom and boundaries from an early age.

workingcocker spaniel puppylife dogtrainingtips obedience southdownsdogservices

www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧[email protected]
đŸ“±WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433

đŸ“șhttps://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

puppytraining cockerspaniel workingcocker workingspaniel spaniel gundog gundogtraining dogtraining dogtrainer balanceddogtraining obediencetraining dogtrainingtips puppylife puppydevelopment dogsofinstagram ukdogtrainer hampshiredogs portsmouthdogs southdownsdogservices

06/08/2026

🟱Steadiness isn’t just about your dog sitting still.

Here we have a group of dogs sat together, calmly watching a dummy launcher and honouring each other’s retrieves. That’s real self-control.

At one point, one dog decided to move. A simple negative marker reminded him of the rules, and he immediately made the right choice. Clear communication creates reliable dogs.

We then increased the challenge by sending one dog on a retrieve while firing another dummy for a different dog. Despite the extra excitement, the dogs remained steady, focused, and under control.

This level of steadiness isn’t created overnight. It’s built through consistency, clear boundaries, and making sure your dog understands exactly what’s expected of them. When the rules are fair and consistent, dogs become calm, confident, and reliable.

A gundog should be able to switch on when sent and switch off when it’s another dog’s turn. That’s the level of steadiness we aim for in all of our training.

SpanielTraining DogTraining WorkingDogs DogTrainer HampshireDogs DogTrainingUK Labrador CockerSpaniel SpringerSpaniel BalancedTraining DogObedience RecallTraining Heelwork StopWhistle WorkingDogTraining

🌐 www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧 [email protected]
đŸ“± WhatsApp / Text: 07886 576433

đŸ“ș https://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

05/08/2026

✅At just 10 weeks old, this is the first time I’ve used food for any training her.

I simply lure her to a sit with the food. As soon as her bottom touches the floor, she gets the reward. Timing is everything. Rewarding the exact moment she sits makes it much easier for her to understand what earned the food.

At this stage, I’m not asking for a long sit. I’m simply teaching her that putting her bottom on the floor is the behaviour that pays. Once she understands that, we can gradually build duration, distractions and reliability.

Keep it simple, keep your timing accurate, and let the puppy work it out for herself.

🌎www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧[email protected]
đŸ“±WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433

đŸ“șhttps://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

uppyTraining WorkingDog DogTraining PuppyDevelopment DogTrainer PuppyLife DogTrainingTips SouthdownsDogServices WorkingCocker GundogLife

04/08/2026

There’s nothing quite like watching a spaniel do what it was bred to do.

Hunting isn’t just exercise – it’s true breed-specific enrichment. It gives your dog a healthy outlet to use its natural instincts, building confidence, focus and satisfaction in a way that a simple walk never can.

But just as important as teaching them to hunt is teaching them when to stop.

A well-trained working dog has both an on switch and an off switch. It should be able to hunt with drive and enthusiasm one second, then stop instantly on the whistle the next. No chasing, no running out of control – just calm, reliable obedience.

Too many owners either suppress these natural instincts completely or let them become uncontrolled. The key is balance. Let your dog be a dog, but teach it to work with you, not against you.

With the right training, your dog can enjoy doing exactly what it was bred for while remaining under full control every minute of every day.

That’s exactly what we teach at Southdowns Dog Services.

🌎www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧[email protected]
đŸ“±WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433

đŸ“șhttps://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

BreedSpecificTraining DogEnrichment DogTraining SpanielLife WorkingDog RecallTraining StopWhistle

02/08/2026

Coming home doesn’t mean I immediately let the puppy out of the crate.

I walk in, ignore the excitement for a moment, and wait until she’s calm before opening the door. Even then, she still has to wait for my permission before coming out.

Why? Because every interaction is training.

If you always rush over, talk excitedly, and immediately let your puppy out, you can unintentionally build overexcitement, frustration, and separation issues. By staying calm and asking for patience, you’re teaching your puppy that excitement doesn’t get rewarded—calmness does.

This isn’t about being unkind or ignoring your dog. It’s about creating a puppy that can switch off, stay relaxed, and make good decisions instead of acting on impulse.

The habits you build in these first few weeks will shape the dog you live with for years.

Calmness is a skill. Train it every day.

🌎www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧[email protected]
đŸ“±WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433

đŸ“șhttps://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

Hashtags:
WorkingDog GundogTraining Spaniel Labrador SouthdownsDogServices

31/07/2026

This 10Âœ-week-old puppy is continuing the crate manners you’ve seen in my previous videos.

Notice I don’t ask her to “stay.” The open crate door does not mean she can come out. She must wait until I invite her.

On this occasion she tried to come through the door, so I gave a verbal correction.Had she ignored that, I would have backed it up with a physical correction and pushed her back reasonably so she clearly understood the boundary. The very next attempt she waited calmly with the crate door wide open.

I also praise her while she’s doing the right thing—but praise is not the release command.

This is where so many people accidentally create problems. They tell the dog “good,” and then immediately let them move. Before long, the dog learns that praise means the exercise is finished and starts breaking commands as soon as it hears “good.”

You also don’t need a separate “yes” marker like you see everywhere. A simple “good girl,” “good boy,” or “good heel” clearly tells the dog they’re doing the right thing while continuing the behaviour. Keep it simple and consistent.

Keep it black and white for your dog.

Praise tells them they’re correct while continuing the behaviour. The release command is a completely separate cue that tells them the exercise has ended.

This principle transfers into everything we do—crate manners, doorways, sits, steadiness and retrieves. The clearer you are with your communication, the more reliable your dog becomes.

Dogs don’t struggle because they’re incapable of learning. More often, they struggle because we’re inconsistent with our communication. Be fair, be clear, and be consistent, and your dog will understand exactly what’s expected.

🌎www.southdownsdogservices.co.uk
📧[email protected]
đŸ“±WhatsApp / txt 07886 576433

đŸ“șhttps://youtube.com/?si=WLUd9jPaJyIetmm9

DogTrainer WorkingDogs PetGundog GundogTraining Spaniel Labrador DogBehaviour DogObedience ReliableDogs PuppyLife DogOwners PositiveAndNegative ClearCommunication TrainTheDogInFrontOfY

Address

Portsmouth

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 8pm
Tuesday 6am - 8pm
Wednesday 6am - 8pm
Thursday 6am - 8pm
Friday 6am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+447886576433

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Southdowns Dog Services posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Southdowns Dog Services:

Shortcuts

Share

Category